The schedule was determined back in July. Dates were set. People were notified. And the stage was set.
Today, we officially kicked off the 2011 Light Show with the first lights and decorations going up. The goal was to get the elevated items mounted in their respective spots. To do this, I required the help of two great friends, Pete and Chris.
We had a short window of time — 9am to 12pm — to get everything done. Aside from the tight schedule, this would also be an opportunity to find out if new light frames would work on the house.
Back in August, I put together new window frames that would mount to the front windows on the main floor of the house. They turned out well, and I wanted the same treatment on all lights mounted on the house. Aside from holding lights in place, the frames served purposes beyond the display; specifically, setup and teardown. The setup aspect needed to be easy and quick. All light frames rest on hanger bolts with wingnuts to lock them in place for the season. At teardown, they simply spin off and the frame goes back into storage.
All told, we got the pieces scheduled for today done in our 3-hour time window. Just as we were coming down from the last item, we felt the first few sprinkles of rain. The day was a success, and everything is beginning to come together.
A huge thanks to Pete and Chris for having the guts to scale the ladders and risk life and limb for the sake of exterior illumination.
